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MINUTES OF HOUSE EDUCATION
STANDING COMMITTEE
January 30, 2007
Room W135, West Office Building, State Capitol Complex

MEMBERS PRESENT:    Rep. Gregory H. Hughes, Chair
        Rep. Patrick Painter, Vice Chair
        Rep. Sylvia S. Andersen
        Rep. Brad L. Dee
        Rep. Craig A. Frank
        Rep. James R. Gowans
        Rep. Kory M. Holdaway
        Rep. Bradley G. Last
        Rep. Rebecca D. Lockhart
        Rep. Carol Spackman Moss
        Rep. Merlynn T. Newbold
        Rep. LaWanna "Lou" Shurtliff
        Rep. Kenneth W. Sumsion    
        Rep. Stephen Urquhart
        Rep. Mark A. Wheatley
            
STAFF PRESENT:    Constance C. Steffen, Policy Analyst
        Diane Obeshaw, Committee Secretary
        Dee S Larsen, Associate General Counsel

Note: List of visitors and copy of handouts are filed with committee minutes.

Rep. Hughes called the meeting to order at 3:27 p.m.

MOTION:    Rep. Newbold moved to amend the minutes of January 26, 2007 to reflect that she     was absent for the votes on H.B. 77. The motion passed unanimously.

MOTION:    Rep. Gowans moved to adopt the minutes of January 23, and January 26, 2007 as     amended. The motion passed unanimously.

H.B. 148 Education Vouchers
Rep. Urquhart introduced the bill which creates a program to award scholarships to students to attend a private school. Mr. Kenneth Johnson, Milwaukee School Board, discussed Milwaukee's experience with vouchers.

MOTION:    Rep. Frank moved to amend the bill as follows:


1.    Page 1, Lines 18 through 23 :    

             18      scholarship payments;
  and      

             19
         .    allows a school district to retain in enrollment a student that transfers to a private
             20      school for a period of five years, with a deduction equal to the average scholarship
             21      amount
{   ; and

             22          .    allows the State Board of Education to transfer unused scholarship monies to the
             23      Minimum School Program   } .

2.    Page 2, Line 43 :    

             43          
{   53A-1a-812, Utah Code Annotated 1953   }


3.    Page 4, Lines 106 through 108 :    

             106          (3) (a) To receive a scholarship, the parent of a student shall submit an application for
             107      the scholarship to the board by the June 1 preceding the school year for which a scholarship is
             108      sought, except the deadline for submitting an application for the 2007-08 school years is July
{   1   }        15       ,


4.    Page 4, Lines 112 through 114 :    

             112          (4) The board shall award scholarships by the July 1 preceding the school year for
             113      which a scholarship is sought, except the deadline for awarding scholarships for the 2007-08
             114      school year is August
{   1   }        15       , 2007.


5.    Page 11, Lines 316 through 322 :    

             316      statewide.
 

    (5) The monies deducted from a school district's minimum school program funds as provided in Subsection (4) shall be deposited into the Uniform School Fund.  

             317          
{   Section 8. Section 53A-1a-808 is enacted to read:

             318          53A-1a-808. Transfer of balance.
             319          After awarding the scholarships and budgeting for mitigation monies under this part,
             320      the board shall transfer any remaining balance appropriated for scholarships or

mitigation
             321      monies to the kindergarten and grades 1-12 basic programs established under Chapter 17a,
             322      Minimum School Program Act.   }
Renumber remaining sections accordingly.

The motion passed unanimously.

The following spoke in support of the bill:
Hillary Stirling
Robert Higgins
Rachael Ringwood
Sean Davis
Teresa Wilcock
Richard and Angela Green
Carolyn Sharette
Ruth Davis
Laura Johnson
Cheryl Earl
Steven Mouritsen
Michelle Dotson
Leah Barker, Children First
Darren Jenkins
Rep. Carl Wimmer

The following spoke in opposition to the bill:
Douglas Meredith
Vic Arnold, Utah Education Association
Doug Nelson, Salt Lake City Board of Education
Patrick Tanner, Utah School Boards Association
Kim Burningham, State Board of Education
Kim Jensen
Kathy Tenney
Carmen Snow, Utah PTA
Patti Harrington, Utah Superintendent of Education
Lisa Johnson
Steven Peterson, Utah School Board of Education, Utah Superintendent of Education
Geoff W. Leonard, Utah School Employees Association
Heather Bennett, Utah Board of Education
Paul Reimann
Dr. Betty Makkinsen



Rob Miller
Dee Burningham

MOTION:    Rep. Lockhart moved to pass the bill out favorably as amended. The motion     passed with Rep. Gowans, Rep. Holdaway, Rep. Shurtliff, Rep. Last, and Rep.     Wheatley voting in opposition of the bill.

Rep. Moss gave a grammar lesson on the proper use of "effect" and "affect".

MOTION:    Rep. Holdaway moved to adjourn the meeting at 5:05 p.m. The motion passed     unanimously.








            _________________________________
            Rep. Gregory H. Hughes, Chair